Bargain-Bin Free Agents Who Can Still Help NFL Teams in 2022

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Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Has this been the wildest NFL offseason ever? It certainly feels that way. We’ve seen stars Russell Wilson, Khalil Mack, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill change teams, and that’s just on the trade market. Free agency, as always, has been a roller coaster.

And while the initial free-agent surge has ended, the market remains very much open. Several high-profile players—including Jadeveon Clowney, Stephon Gilmore, Bobby Wagner and Tyrann Mathieu—remain available.

We’re not here to talk about the stars, though. We’ll examine players who, whether because of injury, age, past production or other factors, can be valuable bargains in the second wave of free agency.

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Likely because of his injury history, cornerback Bryce Callahan remains available, probably at a below-market price. Injuries have limited Callahan to 13 games or fewer in each of his pro campaigns, and a foot setback caused him to miss all of 2019.

Before free agency started, Pro Football Focus projected a two-year, $10 million deal for the seventh-year defender. That’s already a team-friendly price for a reliable corner, but Callahan might settle for even less this late in free agency.

And the 30-year-old is reliable when healthy. He has allowed a passer rating below 92.0 in each of his past three seasons and a rating of just 47.8 in 2020. Yes, Callahan carries injury concerns, but he could still be a key role player, primarily in his usual role as a nickel corner.

A return to the Denver Broncos would make a ton of sense, and Denver is interested in him and safety Kareem Jackson.

“We’re talking to Kareem’s folks as well as Bryce,” general manager George Paton said, per Jon Heath of Broncos Wire.

The Los Angeles Chargers would also make a lot of sense if they don’t re-sign slot corner Chris Harris Jr.

Best Fits: Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers

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Age will probably keep the price low for two-time Pro Bowl tight end Jared Cook. The journeyman pass-catcher is likely looking for his seventh NFL team, following the Chargers’ signing of Gerald Everett, and he’ll turn 35 in April.

Pro Football Focus initially projected a one-year, $4 million contract for Cook. That’s pennies for a proven weapon.

Despite his advanced age in tight end years, Cook remains a productive receiver. Last season with Los Angeles, he caught 48 passes for 564 yards and four touchdowns. He’s topped the 500-yard mark in five consecutive seasons and with three different teams, so his floor and scheme fit shouldn’t be in question.

Cook can be a low-end starter or high-end complementary tight end wherever he lands.

The Broncos would make sense for him, as they included Noah Fant as part of their trade to acquire Russell Wilson. In Denver, Cook could pair with Albert Okwuegbunam—who had 330 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.

Cook could also slot in as a budget No. 3 option for the Cleveland Browns. Head coach Kevin Stefanski favors a deep rotation at the position, and Cleveland parted with Austin Hooper earlier this month.

Best Fits: Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns

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Quarterback Andy Dalton shouldn’t be viewed as a long-term starter. However, the 34-year-old has enough left to be a serviceable one- or two-year bridge option.

Last year, Dalton went 3-3 as a starter with the Chicago Bears. He passed for 1,515 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. Those numbers aren’t great, but they show that the three-time Pro Bowler can still guide a team to a .500 record.

Dalton shouldn’t be expensive either. He played on a one-year, $10 million deal in 2021, but he’s likely looking at a lower price point. Mitchell Trubisky, 27, is seven years younger than Dalton and only got a two-year, $14.3 million deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.

For a team like the Carolina Panthers—who failed to land Deshaun Watson via trade—or the Wilson-less Seattle Seahawks, Dalton could start until a 2022 or 2023 rookie quarterback is ready. He’d also be a high-end backup for just about any franchise that needs one.

While $7-plus million is nothing to sneeze at, it would make Dalton a far cheaper option than acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo ($27 million 2022 cap hit) or Baker Mayfield ($18.9 million) in a trade.

Best Fits: Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks

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Wide receiver Will Fuller V should come at a bargain after injuries limited him to 52 games in six seasons—and just two contests after a broken finger in 2021.

He carries a lot of risk, and Pro Football Focus projected a one-year, $7 million deal for him. Considering JuJu Smith-Schuster only got a one-year, $3.3 million pact from the Kansas City Chiefs, PFF’s estimate is likely high.

Like Fuller, the 25-year-old Smith-Schuster carries injury concerns after he missed 12 games with a shoulder injury in 2021.

Fuller, who’ll be 28 in April, can aid an offense with speed. He’s a legitimate field-stretcher who has averaged 14.7 yards per catch in his career and topped 500 yards four times. In 2020, he tallied 879 yards and eight touchdowns on just 53 receptions. That season came with quarterback Deshaun Watson under center.

There has been buzz about Fuller joining Watson with the Browns, per FanNation’s Cole Thompson, and the pairing would make sense. The two have preexisting chemistry, and Cleveland could use another deep threat to pair with second-year speedster Anthony Schwartz.

Fuller would also be a fit for the Green Bay Packers, who traded Davante Adams to the Raiders and lost Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Best Fits: Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers

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Wide receiver A.J. Green carries both the stigma of being an older receiver and a notable injury history. The 33-year-old missed seven games in 2018 and all of 2020 before returning to play 32 contests over the past two years.

While Green has been durable recently, he hasn’t been the same dynamic playmaker he was before the injury bug bit him.

Pro Football Focus projected a one-year, $7.25 million deal for Green. Again, this feels high, given the recent middle-tier receiver market.

While he has lost a step in the speed department, Green remains a capable perimeter receiver. Last season with the Arizona Cardinals, he caught 54 passes for 848 yards and three touchdowns.

He’s not well-suited for a rebuilding team, but the veteran would be a fine addition to a win-now squad. The Packers could consider Green as a complementary piece. He would also be a solid fit for the Baltimore Ravens, who have struggled to provide Lamar Jackson with reliable perimeter targets.

Best Fits: Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens

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Running backs don’t command the free-agent dollars they once did. Leonard Fournette was arguably the top starting option available this offseason, and he landed a three-year, $21 million deal to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Melvin Gordon III, who’ll be 29 in April, should be available for less. Spotrac estimates his market value at just $5.2 million annually.

This is a fair price for a back who can impact both the running and passing games. Last season with Denver, Gordon rushed for 918 yards and 4.5 yards per carry. He also caught 28 passes for 213 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns.

In seven seasons, Gordon has tallied 6,144 rushing yards, 2,244 receiving yards and two Pro Bowl appearances.

While best-suited for a complementary role—which he served in alongside Javonte Williams last year—Gordon can be a difference-maker. A return to Denver would make a lot of sense. He would also be a great pickup for the Houston Texans.

Houston ranked 31st in rushing a season ago and has only inked complementary runners Royce Freeman and Dare Ogunbowale this offseason.

Best Fits: Denver Broncos, Houston Texans

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Stacy Bengs/Associated Press

Apart from a select few, interior defensive linemen don’t usually make for flashy free-agent additions. However, they do the dirty work at the line of scrimmage and are essential to reliable run and pass defense.

Sheldon Richardson might have been considered a flashy addition early in his career, but the 31-year-old is no longer the same disruptive presence he was when he played on the edge—he was a Pro Bowler in 2014 and logged 16.5 sacks in his first three seasons.

Richardson is now more of a space-eater on the interior who can swallow ball-carriers and occasionally pressure the quarterback. There’s value in that role, though, especially when a player is as reliable as he is.

With the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, the Missouri product logged 39 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 18 quarterback pressures. He hasn’t missed a game since 2017. Despite his durability and production, Richardson was projected to land a modest one-year, $3 million deal by Pro Football Focus.

A return to Cleveland, where Richardson played in 2019 and 2020, would make a lot of sense. The Browns lack interior depth to go with a blossoming secondary and pass-rusher Myles Garrett. Richardson would also make sense for the Cincinnati Bengals, who have yet to re-sign Larry Ogunjobi.

Ogunjobi was on track to sign with the Chicago Bears early in free agency but failed his physical and remains unsigned.

Best Fits: Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals

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Arden Key is a classic example of a player who hasn’t scratched the surface of his potential. A third-round draft pick by the Raiders in 2018, Key underwhelmed during his three seasons with the Silver and Black.

However, he got a fresh start with the San Francisco 49ers last year and started to emerge as an edge-rushing threat. After posting only three sacks in his first three seasons, Key logged 6.5 in 2021 to go with 22 tackles and 19 quarterback pressures.

Key’s production came despite his playing a mere 35 percent of the defensive snaps. Because of his limited pass-rushing resume, he should be a bargain—Pro Football Focus projected him to earn a two-year, $12.5 million deal.

Key could still develop into a very valuable rotational rusher. A return to San Francisco would be logical, given his performance last season. The soon-to-be 26-year-old would also make sense for the Ravens, who missed out on an edge-defender when Za’Darius Smith backed out of his deal.

Key met with Baltimore on Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, so this is a pairing we could see solidify in the coming days.

Best Fits: San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens

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Running back Marlon Mack might be the biggest potential bargain on this list. Pro Football Focus projected him to earn a one-year deal worth only $1.5 million. This is likely due to both a slow running back market and the fact that Mack has barely seen the field over the past two years.

A torn Achilles ended his 2020 campaign after just one game. Last year, he was largely an afterthought, as Jonathan Taylor took over the featured role. With receiving back Nyheim Hines also in the mix, there were few opportunities for Mack.

The 26-year-old finished the 2021 season with just 101 yards on 28 carries.

In 2019, though, Mack tallied 1,091 rushing yards with eight touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He can still be a quality two-down leading ball-carrier or a high-end backup at worst.

The Texans would be a logical landing spot for Mack—and he’s already worked out for Houston, according to Mark Lane of Texans Wire.

The Philadelphia Eagles would also be a great fit for Mack if he’s willing to settle into a backup role. The Eagles have starter Miles Sanders leading a backfield that also features Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell. However, they also feature a run-heavy offense and a head coach in Nick Sirianni who was Mack’s offensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts.

Best Fits: Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles

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Capable pass-rushers don’t usually come cheaply, but Takkarist McKinley might be available at a bargain-basement price—though perhaps not until later in the offseason.

According to Camryn Justice of ABC News 5 Cleveland, McKinley is concentrating on his health.

“McKinley is said to be considering making a decision about signing, with Cleveland or elsewhere, while continuing to focus on his health,” Justice wrote. “The decision may come further along in recovery, sources said.”

McKinley suffered a torn Achilles in Week 15 and probably won’t be ready to start the 2022 regular season. However, he could be a valuable situational rusher late in the year and in the postseason.

Despite playing only 43 percent of the defensive snaps last year, McKinley logged 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and 14 quarterback pressures. His best season came with the Atlanta Falcons in 2018, when he produced seven sacks and 25 pressures.

Given his injury, McKinley should be a very affordable option. He played on a one-year, $4.3 million deal last season and might take even less in an effort to reestablish his market. A return to Cleveland would be sensible. He would also be a good fit for the Cardinals, who have lost pass-rushers Haason Reddick and Chandler Jones in consecutive offseasons.

Best Fits: Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals

     

Contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.